No-Stir Risotto

It started out innocently enough. In fact, it started with stuffed peppers.

I was trying a recipe I had found on a blog. While it wasn't hard, it was more labor-intesive than other stuffed recipes I made. But I was off for Columbus Day and had the time. And my husband came home to a nice meal. As we were packing the leftovers he passed a comment, "I could just eat the filling. It's like risotto." And that got the wheels spinning.

For this particular recipe, the filling baked in the oven. So really, why couldn't mix and match what went into the filling, bake it, and call it dinner? I decided there was no was no reason I couldn't, and I went for it.

It was so good! It had the same texture as risotto, and I didn't have to stand and stir for 30 minutes. (A big selling point for my husband, who has made risotto exactly once because of all the standing and stirring.) I loved this recipe because everything is in one dish. The less pots and pans I have to clean, the better. It's also versatile; I can swap out the vegetables for whatever I have on hand. And it's a perfect meal for those autumn or spring days when you need a little heat in the house. (I love the way the oven warms the house.)

It's comfort food at its finest.

No-Stir Sausage & Veggie Risotto
A Country Cooking Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2/3 cup uncooked rice
• 1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop the onion, pepper, carrot, celery, garlic and set aside. Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until it's cooked. Add the chopped vegetables and saute until tender.
3. Pour sausage and veggies into a large bowl. Add rice, soups, milk, and stir to combine. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. If the mixture looks a little dry, add a little more milk and stir, cover, and finish baking. Serve hot.